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Crocodile Kills Pastor While He Baptises Followers Near Lake In Ethiopia

Crocodile Kills Pastor While He Baptises Followers Near Lake In Ethiopia

A pastor had just started babtising followers near a lake in southern Ethiopia when a crocodile leaped out of the water and grabbed him.

Mischa Pearlmen

Mischa Pearlmen

In Christianity, baptism is meant to symbolise purification and regeneration - when the priest or pastor or whoever sprinkles water on a person's forehead (or immerses a baby in water) it not only represents that person's admission into the Christian Church, but also a new start in life.

But what is usually a harmless religious rite turned deadly on Sunday when Pastor Docho Eshete was babtising around 80 members of his Protestant congregation at Lake Abaya in southern Ethiopa, the country's second largest lake.

He probably should have taken into consideration the fact that that particular area - near Arba Minch town's Merkeb Tabya district - is known for its huge crocodile population.

While the lake itself is reportedly beautiful, and so the ideal setting for a water baptism ceremony, Lonely Planet travel guide to the area warns that: "It has a large population of crocodiles, which are said to be aggressive towards people and animals because the lake has few fish, their preferred food."

And as anyone who's ever seen Steve Irwin (RIP) wrestle one of the magnificent beasts knows, they're not to be fucked with. Rather, you should keep your distance. Hell, even watching something dumb and goofy like Crocodile Dundee would make that clear.

Pixabay

Sadly, Pastor Eshete didn't do that, and soon after the water baptism ceremony had begun, a crocodile leaped out of the water and grabbed him. He died after being bitten on his legs, back and hands.

"He baptised the first person and he passed on to another one," local resident Ketema Kairo told the BBC. "All of a sudden, a crocodile jumped out of the lake and grabbed the pastor."

Lake Abaya (
Google Maps)

According to policeman Eiwnetu Kanko, those nearby, including people in the congregation as well as fishermen and local residents tried to save the pastor's life, but were unsuccessful.

And although the group failed to stop the crocodile from escaping, by using fishing nets they were at least able to prevent it from taking the 45-year-old pastor's lifeless body.

Although the type of crocodile that killed the pastor hasn't been confirmed, it's likely that it was a Nile Crocodile, a species that is estimated to be responsible for over 300 attacks on humans in Africa every year.

Featured Image Credit: Pixabay

Topics: World News, Africa, crocodile, Animals